‘Game of Thrones’s’ Season 6 Finale Will Be the Series’ Longest Episode to Date, and its Title May Frustrate You

By Moze Halperin

June 8, 2016

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HBO has released the title and air-times of the last two episodes of Game of Thrones’ sixth season, and unfortunately, it looks like the Black Chyna/Kardashian saga won’t be included in the plot. (Though nothing is certain!) Regardless, the title of the first episode will surely excite you (if you don’t mind spoilers), while the title of the second might frustrate you.

To be a bit less opaque: the penultimate episode of the season is called “The Battle of the Bastards” and the second is called “The Winds of Winter.” Oh yes, there is a lot to unpack here, isn’t there?

The former title likely points to something that’s been expected for quite some time — and will hopefully finally mean the end of Ramsay Bolton. (I don’t think anyone could handle another end for Jon Snow). The show’s two key “bastards” are Bolton and Snow, and given that Snow is trying to claim Winterfell from its current ruthless, patricide-(and all other cide)-committing overlord, this seems a pretty self-explanatory, and inevitable, incident — but one that’s exciting nonetheless. As Entertainment Weekly points out, the showrunners formerly teased the biggest battle the series, and of all the things to merit a huge battle, this would be it.

The latter title you will of course recognize as identical to that of George R.R. Martin’s delayed upcoming sixth book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, and may frustrate those purist fans who’ve been tense about every episode getting further and further past where the books left off, in that it serves as a titular reminder of the fact that this is happening.

The finale will, it turns out, be the longest GoT episode ever released, running 69 minutes on June 26.